Apparatus for leaching ores



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. DENNE S' & T; K. ROSE. APPARATUs FOR LEAGHING ORES.

No. 425,025. Patented Apr. 8. 1890.

L76 1 E J6 J l x w jaw/777p?- m 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

1 DENNES & T. K." ROSE. APPARATUS FOR- LEAGHING ORES.

Patented Apr. 8. 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

DONALD DENNES AND TOM KIRKE ROSE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

APPARATUS FOR LEACHING ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent- No. 425,025, dated April 8, 1890.

' Application filed May 28, 1889. $erial N0. 312A59. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DONALD DENNES and TOM KIRKE ROSE, both residents of Denver, in the county of Arapahoe, in the State of Colorado, subjects of Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Leaching Ores, of which the following is a specification.

Ourinvention consists of the improvements in a leaching or filtering apparatus defined in the claims at the end of the description.

In order that others may fully understand the nature of our improvements, we will describe the same in detail, referring for aid to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of an apparatus embodying our improvements; and Fig. 2, a top view, the leaching-chamber being re moved in the latter.

\Vhere like letters occur in the two figures they designate corresponding parts.

The letter A designates the leaching-cylinder, which is preferably tapering at its upper end and held securely at its lower end to a cross-head O by means of strong columns 13.

D is a filtering-table, made with a circular flange M, to form a chamber N, to receive the filtering material.

S is an orifice in the table through which liquid passes from the filtering material.

The flange or wall M, forming the chamber N, is so located on the table D that the outer edge of said table projects beyond the base of the said wall or flange and forms a ledge D.

The cylinder A and the filtering-table D are lined with sheet-lead or other suitable material to protect them against deleterious action of the substances or anything in the substances under treatment. lnterposed between the ledge D of table D and the cylinder A is a gasket or packing X to insure a tight joint. The lower side of the table D is furnished with rollers or wheels L -to facilitate its movement on track-rails hereinafter described. To prevent the disturbance of the filtering material in the chamber N, a piece of canvas or any suitable woven or felt material is stretched over the top and held in place by means of an elastic or other band an.

The cross head 0 supports a ram E, the piston of which is provided at its upper end with a bonnet to protect the ram from obstruction or injury that might result from falling particles of ore. The ram E is fixed beneath the lower end of the cylinder, and the filteringtable D rests remow bly upon it. Secured upon the cross-head O is a funnel-shaped hopper, through which the ore is discharged from the cylinder.

K K are track-rails, upon which the filtering-table in its lowered position travels laterally on the wheels L L.

Fixed to the upper end of the cylinder A is a lid F, which is made concave on its upper side, and with a central opcnin g, throu ghwhich the cylinder A is charged with material to be treated. This opening is closed by means of a bell-shaped valve G, operated by a lever and a screw, as shown. Passing through the lid F is a pipe T, through which compressed air or other suitable fluid is admitted.

P (see Fig. 2) is a cylinder containing a piston Q, having a rod Q, connected by means of a T-head WV with the filtering-table D. The cylinder is provided with suitable ports and an ordinary slide-valve R, for regulating the admission of the steam to the cylinder.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Filtering-table D, after having had the chamber N supplied with filtering material, is raised by the ram to the position shown in Fig. 1. The bell-valve G is lowered into the cylinder, which may be then charged with ore. The valve G is now closed and compressed air or steam or other fluid admitted through the pipe T. The pressure in the cylinder, acting as a piston composed of mobile particles, drives from the ore and through the filter-bed the liquid which passes out through the pipe S to a suitable receptacle. To remove the leached charge of ore the pressure is removed from the cylinder A and the filtering-table (together with its charge of ore) is lowered until it stands with its wheels L upon the track-rails K. Pressure is then admitted to the end Y of the cylinder and the table drawn from under its load. The load, being thus left free, falls by gravity into the hopper, and thence to any desired receptacle (a car, for example) in which it may be removed. By admitting pressure at the end of the cylinder opposite Y the table may be forced back into position beneath the cylinder A.

In practicing our invention we prefer to use a hydraulic ram to hold the filtering-table in position against the adverse pressure in the cylinder, and in order to overcome the to tal downward pressure upon the table We prefer to employ a very much greater pressure per unit of area upon the ram. lVe may, however, employ pressures above and below which are about equal to each other. After the ram has forced up the filtering-table into its place, a screw jack or jacks may be employed to relieve the work of the ram.

Having thus in detail described an apparatus embodying our improvements, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In an apparatus for leaching or filtering ores, the combination of the leaching-chamber A, supports B, cross-head C, movable filtering-table D, and the hopper II, arranged below said parts, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for leaching ores, the combination of the leaching-chamber A, supports or pillars B, cross-head O, the movable filtering-table D, having rollers or wheels L, and the track-rails K, upon which the table may be lowered to be moved from under the cylinder, substantially as described.

In an apparatus for leaching ores, the leaching-cylinder A, the supports B, the crosshead C, and the ram E, having a piston provided with the bonnet J, combined with the movable filtering-table, substantially as set forth.

4. In a leaching apparatus, substantially as described, the movable table D, having the flange or wall M projecting from its upper surface to form a receptacle for filtering material, the said receptacle being of less diameter than the upper surface of the table, whereby a'packing-receiving ledge D projects beyond the base of the said wall or flange, combined with the leaching cylinder A, the lower end of which is constructed to receive said wall or flange M, while the ledge D abuts against said lower end of the cylinder, as set forth.

DON ALI) DENN ES. TOM KIRKE ROSE. \Vitnesses:

Louis 0. PIERCE, FRANK COULFORI. 

